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Realising that I've got quite a few new Discworld books to read (it has been ages since I've read one) I naturally decided to start the entire series again from the beginning. Can't really remember what age I was when I started reading them but it's quite possible I was about 12 and I'm sure that a lot of both the clever social commentary and smut went over my head at the time so I reckon I'm enjoying them even more this time around (or underestimating younger me!). So far I think my favourites then are still the ones I'm enjoying most. While things don't fully start hitting their stride for me until Mort the opening books are damned good considering the amount of invention involved in coming up with the setting in the first place. Currently got to Pyramids, which I'd entirely forgotten about and perhaps justifiably as in my mind it's definitely the weakest so far. It still raises some chuckles and has some clever bits but lacks a bit of the spark of the others. Looking forward to the start of the Guards thread, some of those were among my favourites.

Recently finished the Mars trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson, first book was good, by the third I was only still reading it because it was the third in a trilogy. I really must learn to give up on books every now and again, I's save myself so much time.

Nearly finished King Rat by China Meiville, which is pretty good, although not as good as his later novels.

Next on the list is The Hydrogen Sonata by Iain M Banks followed by Cloud Atlas.

Then I'll have to start digging through the many pages and recommendations of this thread (only just found it!)

Recently finished the Mars trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson, first book was good, by the third I was only still reading it because it was the third in a trilogy. I really must learn to give up on books every now and again, I's save myself so much time.

I liked the Mars trilogy.

Also read The Years of Rice and Salt not too long ago by KSR. Gets rather wishful after a while, but all alt-history tends to do so after too long.

NalanoH. Wildmoon
Director of the Friends of Nalano PAC
Attorney at Lawl
"His lack of education is more than compensated for by his keenly developed moral bankruptcy." - Woody Allen

I've recently read Liars and Outliers: Enabling the Thrust that Society Needs to Thrive by Bruce Schneier. It takes an interesting look at thrust and it's role in modern society, along with issues like security and game theory. I really enjoyed reading this book and recommend it to anyone who is interested in any of these subjects.

But where did he come from, this fleck of spite in an abandoned paradise?

I read The Red Knight, by Miles Cameron, over Christmas and New Year (it was my treat to myself, and what a treat it was). I really, really enjoyed this book, so there's a bit of a wall of text incoming...

Firstly, I'll get the negative out of the way. It is a very well written story, but the copy I picked up was littered with typos and erros. At first I dismissed/ignored them, as it was things like using 1 s for a name that had 2 s' previously, or adding/dropping an e from the end of a name. I thought this was maybe just showing differences between characters, and how they spelled this town's name or similar. Then there was a little more, and I thought it might have been down to ignorance/illiteracy of characters and the current POV... getting there/their mixed up, stuff like that. Then, I thought that maybe, just maybe, it was some sort of secret code, a grimoire or cypher hidden in the text. Then I realised that no, it's just badly edited. Which is a terrible shame, because the book is so brilliantly written and so much fun.

Edit: Short plot synopsis... The Red Knight, a somewhat mysterious, young mercenary knight turns up to take a contract from some Nuns living in a Fortress. They're being attacked by creatures of the Wild, Nature in opposition to man, which is viewed as the work of Satan and all kinds of Evil. But, as you'd expect, it isn't going to be as easy as hunting down a Wyvern or two... there's much more going on than that, and even more going on behind that. War is coming, and they're on the front line, with the very future of the Kingdom at stake.

It was terrific... a well paced, rollicking, action packed novel, full of emotion and charm. A great book by itself but also a wonderful introduction to the world and the planned series (the Traitor Son Cycle, 5 books planned/outlined). "Meaty" would be how I'd describe it. The plot is complicated enough that there's plenty to chew on and think on, but not so convoluted that it ever gets tiresome... but, you still know a 2nd read through is going to show you something more. It does have a wonderful streak of darkness and cynicism and humour but, somewhat refreshingly, the darkness doesn't cloud the entire story... there are genuine moments of love and beauty in there (the characters of the King and Queen being a great example of this). It has a glorious cast of characters, well written, well rounded, believable, but still brimming with character and personalities... Along with the Red Knight himself, Bad Tom was stand out for me ("I have a magic sword, I wanna go try it on something!"). There's the subversion of the tropes and standards of fantasy that we come to expect from modern fantasy... the main antagonist is like an evil Treebeard for example. Good dialogue ("Lachlan for Aa!" is my new catchphrase, and the scene were Bad Tom breaks into tears and professes his love is just wonderful... I read it 3 times, laughing, crying, then doing both at the same time), great action/fighting scenes, well thought out 'Magic system', even some lovely little illustrations at the start of chapters. I think this book really deserves some attention... if you like some GRR Martin, Abercrombie, Erikson, Glen Cook type fantasy, then please do yourself a favour and give this book a look. You'll also be doing me a favour, because I really want to see this series and this author continue and succeed.

For those who are interested and still reading my lengthy endorsement, Miles Cameron is actually the pseudonym of one Christian Cameron, a noted (Canadian) author of historical fiction, Medieval Historian, former US Army Officer, and re-enactor (both military and non-military). While his previous books have been History with fiction thrown in, this is Fantasy fiction heavily informed by Historical knowledge... It's set in an analogue of our world, where the Arthurian vision of Chivalry exists, along with all those things (Dragons and Boglins and Trolls) that the Knights of fable fought against. It's an exploration of Hermeticism, the connections between Christianity and Chivalry, the struggle and opposition between Man and Nature. Similar to the Malazan world being so informed by Erikson and Esselmont's knowledge of archaeology, history and anthropology, this is heavily informed by Cameron's knowledge of history, craft, economics, armour, fencing, warfare and military organisation. It's the sort of book in which people don't put on helmets... they have their Squires/Valets manoeuvre the aventail of their bascinets over their gorget and so on... but, it doesn't get bogged down in pages and pages of dry descriptions of things like that, it's all weaved so well into the storytelling and the action. Cameron has also stated that he owes a terrific debt to Erikson, and that he considers the MBotF the 2nd best fantasy series ever (behind LOTR), and the greatest example of plotting in a book series ever. I have a feeling that it was the MBotF that influenced/inspired Cameron to make the switch from Historical fiction to Fantasy, and I have high hopes for the whole series story because of this.

Anyway... if you are at all interested, it's out in the US in 2 weeks time, and available in the UK just now. There's a website for the series as a whole, with some good stuff on it... the essay on Story/World is well worth a read, and there are some additional chapters exclusively on there.

I've read a lot of books with glaring typos and grammatical errors recently, even misplaced full stops. I don't understand how they manage to have such sloppy editing.

Editors and publishers have left the business of editing, and only marginally publish. Like most of the arts world, the entire burden is now laid wholly in the creator's lap: They must edit, market and, if possible, distribute their works entirely.

NalanoH. Wildmoon
Director of the Friends of Nalano PAC
Attorney at Lawl
"His lack of education is more than compensated for by his keenly developed moral bankruptcy." - Woody Allen

I dunno what Nalano's saying, but for The Red Knight, it's down to it being an advance/TPB copy, and being released in the UK earlier than US/ROW. It's all been fixed for the e-Book editions, and for the US release. Copy editing was rushed the edition I received.

Originally Posted by Hypernetic

I just have an opinion different to your own. Circle jerking is good for no one, be glad somebody isn't afraid to disagree with women on the internet.

Editors and publishers have left the business of editing, and only marginally publish. Like most of the arts world, the entire burden is now laid wholly in the creator's lap: They must edit, market and, if possible, distribute their works entirely.

Just polished off No Easy Day which I got for Christmas. Although it's written in a pretty simplistic way, it's a fairly engaging account of the selection and work of a DEVGRU operator, culminating in the raid on Abbottabad.

Currently working my way through Empire Made Me: An Englishman Adrift in Shanghai by Robert Bickers. Part Biography, part history and part travel guide, it follows the life of an officer in the Shanghai Municipal Police in the 1920's. The main subject, Richard Tinkler, isn't particularly likable but the book captures the decadence, corruption and violence of early 20th century Shanghai really well.

Finally got around to reading my way through, Joe Abercrombie's stuff, and I see what all the fuss was about. The Heroes in particular was probably the fantasy novel I enjoyed the most since China Mieville's The Scar (apparently I have a thing for pithy The X titles?). The only trouble is, once I finish Red Country, I'm going to find myself suddenly short on books- might have to start trawling this thread for ideas...

I read The Red Knight, by Miles Cameron, over Christmas and New Year (it was my treat to myself, and what a treat it was). I really, really enjoyed this book, so there's a bit of a wall of text incoming...

That sounds like it could be really good. I will have to keep an eye out for it. I was reading The Silmarillion until I bought World War Z on a whim one sleepless night and got hooked on it. Someone at work lent me his copy of Ender's Game. Not sure if I want to start that next or A Dance with Dragons.

"What were we talking about? Pegasuses, pegasii, that's horses with wings. This motherf*cker got a sword that talks to him. Motherf*cker live in places that don't exist, it comes with a map. My God."